The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-19
THE CITY ELECTION.

mental side of the gangs fight, and it is one
that appeals to all the feelings of Coy and his
| pals as strongly as such a motive appeal
to such minds. The practical side of the
| gangs fight is to secure control Of the Mayors
| court and of the Council whereby the law
| against saloon crime can be virtually sus-
| pended in the interest of the whte-aproned
! law-breakers, and the administration of the
city's financial affairs placed in the hands of
| Inscriptions corruptionists and the toos of
! Tom Johnsonism and other forms of odious
monopoly. 1t is against this combination,
actuated by these motives and fighting for
these results, that the good people and decent
citizens of indianapolis are called to organize,
| and work, and vote. 1t is not primarily, a
contest between Democracy and Republican
ism though, by force of circumstances these
are the names of the opposing parties and
tickets. "Coyism" has captured the Demo-
cratic organization and machinery over the
protest and to the disgust of many respecta-
| BILE, honorable Democrats, who will empha-
size their revolt with their ballots next month.
Sim Coy is just now, the Democratic party,
so far as the city of indianapolis is concerned.
He has absolute and unquestioned control of
the party. He named the candidates and the
| party convention ratified his dictatorial
choice. The nominations for Council by the
Democratic ward organizations are such, and
only such, as have met with the dctator's
approval and been vised in the back room of
-
Mike Mcdonald of indianapolis to be the
boss of courts and Council. and to inaugurate
the "Let-her-go Gallagher policy, under
| which everything is to be run "wide open,"
as the phrase goes. This means that the laws
regulating the liquor saloons and gambling
dens shall be nullifed; that sales of liquor
shall be made at any and all hours of the day
and night; that the streets shall be rendered
hideous, the station-house filled with victims
of drink, and the City Court crowded with
liquor-sellers, whose cupidity and criminality
rebel against every restraint. The "open"
| policy means that the City Council shall have
an inscriptions, venal, corrupt majority,
whose votes are always in the market, or in
the pocket of the man who owns and con-
trolls the Democratic candidates. It means
that our elections shall be farces; that, unless
| an honest majority can be returned for
them, the ballot boxes shall be stuffed or
| smashed, as the case may require; fraudulent
counts made, and even the tally-sheets forged
and mutilated, to the end that gang rule and
| that the courts themselves shall not be safe
from the polluted touch of crime, but that
judges shall be foisted into stolen seats, and
justice (g) administered by men who hold
their high Office through bold and unblushing
theft and fraud.
Briefly and bluntly, this is the outline of
the issue presented to the people of Indianap-
oils in the pending city campaign and cleo
ton. 1t SO happens, as it generally does when
there is such a contest, that the Republican
party and ticket are upon the side of decency,
Of order, of law, and of good government; but
that ticket, standing for these things, appeals
for support to honorable, self-respecting men
of all parties and shades of political belief and
utilization. The best interest of every citizen
is involved in the defeat of "Coyism," as
represented by the Democratic ticket, and to
that result every energy should be directed.
We are not entering upon State campaign or
national campaign. We are in a campaign
and are fronting an election wherein the local
interests of indianapolis, the cause Of good
government for ourselves and our children,
the protection of our homes and the mainte-
nance of social order, the rebuke of fragrant
crime and of the forces of corruption and
criminality are involved. This is a work, and
the work, which should and must arouse and
enlist the fullest energies of all good people.
The present duty is to defeat "Coysm, y and
wherever and however that can be done there
should be an alliance between all the elements
of opposition. We believe that a sharp,
aggressive, strong, vigorous campaign should
be made. Corruption intends to win its way
by stealthy infpences-by the still-hunt, the
use of a large fund raised from the saloons
and other questionable sources, and by the
bold and brazen commission of crime upon
the ballot, if necessary. Taly-sheets may
not be forged again; CRIME may not take tnaC
form, but it will assume any shape that may
be required to avert the overthrow the people
are ready to visit upon the gang. The cam
paign for decency and for law should be car
ried on with will and vim. In every ward
and precinct the fires should be lighted, and
the hooks and corners penetrated with earnest
and aggressive work There are men enough
in Indianapolis who can be secured for ward
and precinct meetings so that during the last
two weeks of the campaign at least, the issues
shall be discussed before every one of the
twenty-seven thousand voters of the city.